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Read endorsements from educators, artists, organizations, and leaders supporting the VerifiedHuman™ mission and the Human-Made Standard. + ENDORSEMENTS Incredibly helpful model for creators like me and my partners... "Finally, there is someone addressing the critical issues surrounding AI, distinguishing between human-generated and computer-generated AI projects. Micah has carefully crafted a verification service that I know will be incredibly useful to creators like me and my partners." CO-HOST/PRODUCER Emmy Nominated Docu-Series, The Good Road Good All Over › LinkedIn › CO-OWNER/PUBLISHER The Philanthropy Journal PRESIDENT Belltower Pictures › Shockoe Records › Craig Martin Advocating for the value of human trust... "2023 will be remembered as a pivotal year for our relationship with technology. AI will continue to amplify and accelerate human innovation in positive ways. Algorithmic art generated via data farming will inevitably serve some, driven by economic efficiency and the market's desire for instant gratification. Wide adoption of the VerifiedHuman™ label defends and advocates for human creativity by weaponizing the uniquely human behavior of trust." DIRECTOR The Virginia Film Office › LinkedIn › ... Andy Edmunds This current effort will have a huge impact... "I have known the Founder of VerifiedHuman™ for over two decades. At his core, he is a tireless visionary who can make interesting connections that others only see after Micah describes. This current effort will have a huge impact as we move forward with shocking speed alongside technology that will forever alter how we interact as humans." CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTING Virginia Commonwealth University Ph.D. Texas A&M LinkedIn › CO-AUTHOR Corporate Governance & The Firm CO-AUTHOR XBRL Essentials Carolyn Norman Honest media in an age of instant creation and communication... "Global events of the past few years have tested our ability to verify the origins of goods, ads, and news. It is vital to safeguard our trust in media and communications. AI can be a powerful tool, but it can also be grossly misused. The promise creators make by certifying their work VerifiedHuman™ , as fully human-made, assisted by AI, or a hybrid, will provide truth in sourcing what we see, hear, and read." CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE & AI CONSULTANT Revizzy › LinkedIn › ... Jim Washok VerifiedHuman™ preserves the one human thing... “AI will always be lacking in its ability to reproduce the essence of a story behind every human-created piece of art. VerifiedHuman™ preserves the one thing that distinguishes humans from everything else, our ability to create something real and meaningful.” VP OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Luck Companies LinkedIn › ... Ryan Emmons VerifiedHuman™ is setting the stage for integrity... "Honesty and transparency can start with us. That's what VerifiedHuman™ is at its core. This is a collective–a movement led by artists, musicians, educators, and business leaders worldwide who are setting the stage for leadership in AI integrity." B2B CONSULTANT Strategy, HR, and Finance LinkedIn › ... Laura Bowser An important early entry into this space... "Was it really created by a human or just a product of intelligent software? In these days, it is difficult to be assured of the integrity of any created product. VerifiedHuman™ is an important early entry into this space, helping assure us of human creation and actual protected intellectual property in a world of confusing, programmatic creativity." PRESIDENT Forsyth Descendants Foundation LinkedIn › ... Durwood Snead Guardians of transparency of human creative contribution... "We are past a tipping point. Artificial Intelligence and generative AI are challenging and redefining human value and contribution to ideas and intellectual property. It is critical that organizations and platforms like VerifiedHuman™ help guide, inform, and be guardians of transparency of human creative contribution to the world ahead of us." CREATIVE AND BRAND CONSULTING glensheehan.com › LinkedIn › ... Glen Sheehan Confidence and credibility in creative expression... "Creative expression is central to what it means to be human. Subscribing to the standards set by VerifiedHuman™ will enable confidence and credibility in the exchange between artists, authors, and educators and their various constituencies." PRINCIPAL Simeon Leadership Group Daniel Allen Coaching › LinkedIn › ... Daniel Allen The framework between human innovation and pre-trained AI... Generative AI is an inflection point in the history of human development. No longer can we assume that stories, songs, or works of art are solely the product of human creativity and artistic endeavor. Establishing a system for distinguishing between human innovation and pre-trained AI outputs is essential. VerifiedHuman™ is this system–a commitment to transparency in AI-assisted content creation and recognizing the significance of differentiating between human and model-generated outputs, particularly regarding their value. ASSOCIATE PARTNER Kyndryl NA LinkedIn › ... Bill Farnham Authenticity matters... “Original human-created visual art & the authentic human-written word matter and must be protected. I am verifying all my future work with VerifiedHuman™ starting today.” CREATIVE DIRECTOR Lux Basics LinkedIn › ... Anna Woloshko Harnessing the power of AI in service to humanity... VerifiedHuman™ is a huge step in harnessing the power of AI in service to humanity and not the other way around. By knowing what is made by a human and what is made by a machine, we can build checks, balances, and fair systems to further accelerate human progress.” FOUNDER For-Purpose, PBC › LinkedIn › ... Josh McManus Made by people for people... "Creativity—art, writing, music, design—is most powerful because it's something made by people for other people. Creativity enriches life. While AI can be beneficial, there is still a need and a place for genuine human expression. VerifiedHuman™ helps promote and celebrate our core ambition." DIRECTOR Widgets & Stone › LinkedIn › ... Paul Rustand VerifiedHuman™ helps human live responsibly and ethically... "The world is changing before our eyes and will continue to change. VerifiedHuman™ addresses with substance the one unchanging part of the equation–human beings trying to live responsibly and ethically. Regardless of what technological solutions come, we will always need the human element - verified!" ENTREPRENEUR Author and Podcaster Space for Life › LinkedIn › ... Tommy Thompson Being fully human... “There is a great need in all of us to know the heart and soul of being fully human. VerifiedHuman™ is safeguarding it.” PERFORMING ARTS PRODUCER LinkedIn › ... Bob Laughlin Preserving the last gift... "The last gift an artist has to give this world is their art. Without art, the artist is forgotten too quickly. VerifiedHuman™ is a time stamp to ensure artists are remembered." COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHER Casey Templeton Photography › LinkedIn › ... Casey Templeton Unique work must be protected at all costs... "VerifiedHuman™ has launched at just the right time in this rapidly changing world of technology. The unique work of artists, students, and businesses must be supported and protected at all costs. VerifiedHuman values the vital role of technology and innovation, but most importantly, values people.” PARTNER 5 Degrees Branding › LinkedIn › ... Lee Insko VerifiedHuman™ provides an ethical framework to follow... "Story makes up the fabric of human existence. Technology is important, but it lacks the authentic, raw, vulnerable stories that make up our uniquely human experiences. Without story, life has no luster, originality, or color. As a musician, I see VerifiedHuman™ helping ensure that my stories and creative work stay connected. As an educator, the model allows me and my students to right-size technology's role in our lives, provides an ethical framework to follow, and reminds us of what it means to be truly human. VerifiedHuman™ is the solution I didn't know existed until now." SINGER-SONGWRITER Foreign Language Teacher emilyroig.com › LinkedIn › ... Emily Roig Now and for future generations... "Creativity in communication and creation is a unique part of our human experience. We should celebrate these in our life, work, and education. VerifiedHuman™ is vital to elevate these values as we navigate new digital landscapes now and for future generations." PRODUCER Multimedia, Film, and Communications LinkedIn › ... Michael Hodges VerifiedHuman™ is helping us walk the line... "In a world where human-created original art is being replaced by AI spinoffs like cane sugar was replaced by high fructose corn syrup, I say, "No!" No, to copy-cat ripoffs. VerifiedHuman™ is helping us walk the line. Sure, all artists borrow from the art and artistry of past artists, but AI pays no homage or price. AI art of any sort is not authentic." NON-PROFIT LEADER President Emeritus Louverture Cleary School of Haiti | Recipient of Brown University's Award for Public Service and Pierre Toussaint Medallion LinkedIn › ... Patrick Moynihan The rhythm of the human condition... "As artificial intelligence mirrors our competencies and technology disrupts old norms, the human narrative grounds us. VerifiedHuman™ will assist us in navigating accelerating change. Our shared chronicles are inked not in circuits and code, but in the living, pulsating rhythm of the human condition." CHAIR OF CINEMA Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts LinkedIn › KNOWN FOR His work on Avatar (2009) and Jurassic Park (1993) TyRuben Ellingson

VerifiedHuman™ is the global movement protecting human creativity in the age of AI. Discover the Human-Made Standard for authenticity, transparency, and ethical AI use—trusted by creators, educators, and organizations worldwide. When anyone can generate anything instantly, how do you prove your work is authentically yours? • 170 creators • 9 organizations • Founded 18 months before AI labeling went mainstream Founded 18 months before AI labeling hit the mainstream. See how it works VerifiedHuman™ The global standard that protects human creativity in the age of AI Like Fairtrade for coffee—a simple mark that certifies human authorship. Join VerifiedHuman Three simple steps. Join the movement. Get instant access to use the VerifiedHuman™ mark on your work. Pay what you can • No minimum required • Setup in 2 minutes Show the world. Display the mark and share your work so people know it's authentically human-made. Choose your standard. See the guidelines for human-made work in your field. A tale of two photos. Dorothea Lange stood in that migrant camp in 1936. She was there. Florence was there. The moment was real. Boris Eldagsen typed a prompt in 2023. No one was there. No moment existed. The woman is a fiction. Both images are powerful. Only one tells a true story. People win. Some images can tell remarkable human stories. See the story Some can't. See the story VerifiedHuman for everyone. CHOOSE YOUR STANDARD | Explore the VerifiedHuman™ Standards that support creators, educators, and organizations across every discipline. WRITERS for "These are my words." See the standard VOICE ACTORS for "This is my voice." See the standard Thank you page Brand Hopper for VISUAL ARTISTS "These are my images." See the standard EDUCATORS for "We're building people." See the standard ADVOCATE for us "I support VerifiedHuman." See the standard MUSICIANS for "These are my songs." See the standard ORGANIZATIONS for "We value human work." See the standard People win. VerifiedHuman™ is the global human-made standard that defines authenticity, attribution, and transparency in an AI-integrated world. We provide clear definitions, disclosure practices, and ethical guidelines to help creators, educators, and organizations protect human identity and creative integrity when working with AI tools. Ready to certify your work as human-made ? Join VerifiedHuman Let's parnter. Contact Founder Stay connected. Get occasional updates about the movement. Email* Yes, subscribe. Get updates This #1 Amazon Bestseller tells the story of how and why the VerifiedHuman™ movement came to life. Micah Voraritskul built VerifiedHuman to protect and celebrate human creativity. Human Is the New Vinyl explains why human creativity still matters—and why it always will. In a world rushing toward frictionless tech, vinyl spun its way back into the spotlight because it feels real. From the printing press to generative AI, this book traces how new tools reshape the way we create and why human-made work still wins. HUMAN IS THE NEW VINYL WHY HUMAN CREATIVITY STILL WINS IN THE AI REVOLUTION Get the book

Get in touch with VerifiedHuman™ for questions about the Human-Made Standard, partnerships, speaking engagements, or community involvement. + CONTACT Email VerifiedHuman → Contact founder → Reach out. First name* Last name Email* Phone What's on your mind?* Send Stay connected. Get occasional updates about the movement. Email* Yes, subscribe. Get updates

Ancient Stories Echo in Modern Technology You probably know this ancient tale (from Christian (Genesis 11), Islamic, and Judaic traditions). The Tower of Babel As the story goes, humans learned to speak one common language and developed brick technology (no more stacking odd-shaped rocks). They attempted to build a tower (a.k.a. Ziggurat) to the sky at a site about 60 miles south of modern-day Baghdad. This disturbed the deity in charge, so he went down to investigate in person. This God did not like what he saw, so he "confused the languages" so that only some groups could understand others. They were then forced to gather by common languages and go their separate ways with the people with whom they could communicate naturally. Hence, the "scattering of the nations." This story took on new meaning when I heard Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin (two AI ethics leaders) discussing AI technology's rapid proliferation. They described how all these separate silos of AI development are finally coming together in large language models, essentially "all speaking the same language." The realization hit me: This is anti-Babel. Based on a common language, things are coming together again — the LLM, Large Language Model. I am not passing judgment on this. I am just noticing it. Language and power go deeper than just the Babel story. It is said that God created the universe by speaking. The creation of the cosmos was a speech event. The God of the descendants of Isaac (Judeo-Christianity) and the God of the descendants of Ishmael (Islam) is deeply invested in language. Christians often call the Bible "The Word of God." And in the fourth gospel, this very curious passage opens the account. No one really knows what it means precisely: "In the beginning, the Word (LOGOS) was with God, and the LOGOS was God. Then the Word became a man and dwelt among us." Thus, the Judeo-Christian God emerges as a god who deals fundamentally in language. A few takeaways: The proliferation of AI technology, particularly large language models, creates an "anti-Babel" scenario. Where once languages were confused and people scattered, AI unifies technology under a shared language. As these disparate tech "languages" come together, are we really, as some posit, moving toward a kind of technological "singularity?" Language plays a central role in understanding the divine across religious traditions. The act of God creating the universe through speech underscores this. That mysterious LOGOS concept—language itself being both divine and made flesh—suggests something profound about the power of words that we're just beginning to grasp. The divine response to Babel wasn't "Don't do this!" It was "Spread out. Don't do this in one place." Does this speak to the concentration of AI capabilities in the West (Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, IBM, and Apple) and China (Tencent, Biadu, SenseTime, etc.)? If language holds this kind of sacred power—to create, unite, and divide—what responsibilities come with making artificial systems that can manipulate language with increasing sophistication? The Babel narrative reminds me that when language, power, and technology converge, the implications stretch beyond what we can imagine.

What happens to human creativity now? In the last two years, AI has catapulted from a marginal storyline into the headspace of public consciousness. ChatGPT, Claude, Midjourney, and DALL-E have become platforms mentioned in daily conversations by creators and non-creators alike. I’m not pointing out something you don’t already know. Since 2022, generative AI has shown a staggering ability to think, write, draw, converse, compose music, generate videos, and even create realistic voices. I had a hunch early on that this was where we were headed. And I was a little worried about AI crowding into the space reserved for my friends, colleagues, fellow teachers, and students… a creative and relational space. One question kept bugging me: “What happens to human creativity now ?” I kept returning to an unlikely metaphor: vinyl records. When music went digital, everyone thought vinyl was gone for good. Compared to digital lossless audio, vinyl sucks, right? It’s clunky, fragile, gets dusty, and wears out. It’s hard to move around, doesn’t work in a car, on vacation, or at the beach. Records are expensive, and they only hold 22 minutes of sound per side. But vinyl has made a remarkable comeback in the last 20 years. People can’t get enough of it. I just spent $500 on my son’s setup, and it sounds stupid good. Why the comeback? Because people want to experience real — touch, ritual, imperfection, presence. It all feels more connected to what makes us human. That metaphor became the heart of my new book: Human Is the New Vinyl: Why Human Creativity Still Wins in the AI Revolution. What the book is about Human Is the New Vinyl is a journey through the past and future of creativity — from the printing press to generative AI. It’s about what we gain from new tools, but also what we stand to lose if we let “easy” replace what makes us real. I wrote it for: Artists and writers wondering how their work will matter. Educators and students wrestling with AI in classrooms. Entrepreneurs and leaders trying to adapt without losing their human edge. The Big Day 📖 Human Is the New Vinyl launches this Tuesday, August 19. Every single order on launch day makes a difference — it’s how we rise in the charts and help more people discover the message. 👉 Preorder the eBook/Kindle at Amazon . I’d love your support—I think you’ll like the book. 👉 Join us for a FB Live Book Launch with Dr. Aaron Simmons and me! I’ll be under an hour. It’ll be fun and we’d love to see you there. A Final Thought AI isn’t evil. AI is easy. And easy has a way of winning — even when it shouldn’t. But what remains is the human spirit. Thanks for being part of this with me, Micah

When everything bends toward convenience, it's meaning that disappears. Here's why humanity still matters. A photographer I know who's shot the Kardashians, Taylor Swift, and President Obama emailed me: "I can't tell AI photos from real ones anymore." That's when I knew we had a problem. Jeremy Cowart is a celebrated Nashville portrait photographer who's also done global humanitarian work for the UN. In March 2023, he sent an email to his news list titled "Houston, We Have a Problem." Even with his "very trained, professional eye," Jeremy had inadvertently mistaken AI-generated images for real photographs. It was deeply unsettling. Cowart is a seasoned professional who has carefully shot, developed, and scrutinized tens of thousands of portraits, spending years studying the shape, expression, and unique presence of the human face. If Jeremy Cowart can't distinguish a human photo from an AI image, who can? Houston, we definitely have a problem. When Everything Hit Home Back at a café, I was telling my friend Brian about Jeremy's email. By the end of lunch, we had reached some disheartening conclusions. "Micah, I think we're getting close to a point where it will be nearly impossible to tell what's human and what's AI: writing, visual arts, music, film, whatever," Brian said. I frowned, imagining a world so saturated with generative content that AI quietly becomes the assumed creator behind it all. "I think you're right," I said. "Pretty soon, the default reaction will be: AI probably made this, unless proven otherwise. " It felt plausible. Even inevitable. My conversation with Brian shook me. But it crystallized a hunch that had been nagging me for weeks. AI isn't evil. AI is easy. And easy has a way of winning, even when it shouldn't. Any student with ChatGPT can churn out an essay in seconds. Companies can mass-produce ad campaigns in minutes. Musicians can remix a style without touching an instrument, much less putting in the thousands of hours of concentrated practice it takes to actually master one. If it works, it sells. And if it scales, it spreads. But what do we lose when everything bends toward easy ? When Levi's Lost the Thread What I didn't know yet was how quickly that hunch would be put to the test. The timing alone told a story. On March 22, 2023 — the same day Jeremy sent his "Houston" email — Levi Strauss & Co. announced a partnership with Lalaland.ai to use AI-generated models in their online product photos, framing it as a push for diversity and inclusion. It backfired immediately. The irony was glaring. The company that built its name on canvas, rivets, miners, and grit now tried to solve a PR problem with an algorithm. People noticed. And they weren't having it. Customers didn't just object to the potential job loss of models. They bristled at the idea that real connection was being replaced by simulation. Jeans are personal, they said. We don't give a damn what they look like on "virtual models." We want to see them on real people. The lesson was clear: easy isn't always better.Sometimes, it just feels off. A week later came the AI pause storm: Musk, Wozniak, and hundreds of tech leaders urging the world to hit the pause button on AI development. The headlines screamed apocalypse, you know, Terminator. But I wasn't worried about machines wiping out humanity. That's above my pay grade. I was worried about something closer to home : would anyone care whether the words, images, and songs that move us were made by people at all? The Uncanny Valley Is Gone The impact on the visual arts has been as jarring as it has been transformative. In 2020, an AI art exhibit called "Uncanny Valley: Being Human in the Age of AI" opened in San Francisco, leaving many patrons confused and disoriented. The works were hard to decode. Visitors couldn't tell what was human-made and what wasn't. Many felt bewildered, asking, "What does creativity even mean anymore?" The exhibit borrowed its name from the "uncanny valley" — that eerie discomfort we feel when something artificial looks almost, but not quite, human. The closer the resemblance, the more unsettling the reaction. But in hindsight, the name was more prophetic than intended. Since 2020, generative AI has advanced to the point that even experts like Jeremy Cowart can no longer distinguish between the two. The uncanny valley isn't uncanny anymore. It's gone. And here's the haunting part: if people can't tell, they can't care. Economic forces tell part of the story. An AI-generated portrait sold at Christie's for $432,500 — way above its estimated value. Half a million dollars didn't go to a living, breathing artist. It went to a Paris-based tech company that ran someone else's data through a model. The Vinyl Paradox We've been here before. Vinyl was supposed to die a slow, flickering death. Those of us old enough to remember watched it happen, were sad, and were also complicit. Record sales collapsed from 1.1 billion units in 1981 to under a million by 2001 — a billion-unit freefall in just two decades . Hard to even fathom. Vinyl disappeared for one simple reason: people got mobile. People wanted their music anywhere, everywhere, on demand, no hassle. The problem is that vinyl record players are homebodies , happiest on flat, solid ground. The hair-thin needle, nestled in a spinning micro-groove, was delicate. One heavy footstep and the record skipped. You can't take records on vacation . You can't play them in the car. You can't take them to the beach or on a run. Cassettes and CDs let us carry music everywhere. Then came the digital revolution. I can still see Steve Jobs on stage in 2001, holding up an iPod: "1,000 songs in your pocket." Why pay ten dollars for an album when you only liked three songs? By the early 2000s, vinyl was all but dead. Like home-cooked meals edged out by TV dinners, the messy, meaningful experiences got replaced by frictionless convenience. And yet vinyl came back. Why? What was once a quirky collector's item has made a billion-dollar resurgence. Even people under thirty — kids who grew up with Spotify — are buying records. Maybe it's because vinyl offers something digital can't. The weight of the sleeve. The fading cover art. The dust, the scratches, the hiss and crackle. The ritual of lowering the needle. Closing your eyes and just listening. Imperfection becomes part of the experience. It's slower, more fragile, and more limited — but somehow more real. You have to stay with a record, flip it after 22 minutes to get what's on the other side. It demands something of you: your presence. The vinyl paradox is simple: convenience was gained, meaning was lost. And now people are giving up convenience to get meaning back again. That paradox raises the question at the center of our AI age: If machines can generate endless words, images, and songs at the speed of a prompt, will people begin to crave the slower, stranger, more intentional work of humans? Tilt: The Human Ingredient That's where the vinyl analogy gets deeper. Records don't just sound different from digital — they carry something invisible that streaming can't replicate. My close friend and mentor, Klaus, is an eighty-something survivor of Nazi Germany, a world-class engineer, and a spectacular chef. To me, he's the Ernest Hemingway of my circle — a brilliant generalist with a thousand fascinating stories. Klaus is also a true music lover. Not long ago, we got to talking about the difference between hearing a digital recording and listening to vinyl. Then he told me two stories I'll never forget. The first was about watching Frank Sinatra and Vic Damone sing "New York, New York" live on black-and-white TV. Different shows, different nights, same song. They both belted out the same iconic lyrics about how wonderful the city was, with the Bronx uptown and the Battery downtown. But the performances couldn't have felt more different. Sinatra and Damone each brought something personal: their own distinct tone, subtle phrasing, even the way they carried themselves onstage — their energy, their presence, their facial expressions. And the context shaped it too: the audience, the moment, the unspoken signals of the era — all the other things that couldn't be reduced to the notes on the page. Klaus's second story was about two world-class pianists: Lang Lang and Yuja Wang . Both are known for their breathtaking, near-flawless technique. Klaus has heard them play the same classical piece, and although the score was the same, the experience could not have been more different. If the sheet music was the blueprint, Lang and Wang started building from the same foundation. But they finished their spaces in entirely different ways — Lang's felt like a New York concert hall: solid, grounded, richly layered. Wang's felt more like a glass pavilion in Singapore: fluid, intricate, flooded with light. Same composition, but worlds apart for the listener. Why is that? Tilt. When humans create and share work, everyone's tilt comes into play: the creator's, the performer's, the listener's. Tilt is that invisible lean of personality, presence, and perspective that seeps into everything you touch. It's the bend in phrasing, the surge in energy, the unwritten pause that changes how something lands — and how it lives in someone's memory. And it's never neutral, even when the structure stays the same. Tilt doesn't work alone. Time and setting tilt the experience too. A song on a massive stage feels different than the same song in a living room, on a sidewalk, or in a studio with perfect acoustics. The backdrop matters. The crowd matters. The mood of the moment tilts everything. You can't always measure the impact of lighting, sound, costumes, or scenery. No two performances are ever the same. Culture moves. Audiences shift. A work that stirs hearts in one decade might fall flat, or even be offensive, in another. Creative reception is never fixed. It moves because people move. And creative work — no matter who or what makes it — will always have one primary audience: people . We don't make songs for machines. Machines don't make songs for other machines. The audience has always been human. And it still is. When Shibuya Just Works In the heart of Tokyo sits one of the world's most mesmerizing feats of urban choreography: Shibuya Crossing. Every three minutes, more than 2,500 people flood into the intersection from twelve different directions, somehow moving through the chaos without colliding. I've watched it unfold several times over the years, usually from the second floor of the Starbucks that overlooks the sprawl, coffee in hand, captivated every time the light changes. To fully appreciate it, let me give you a bit of context: First , Japanese pedestrians don't jaywalk. Unlike in New York, São Paulo, or Paris, people in Tokyo wait for the walk signal, even when there's no traffic in sight. That might sound like a generalization, but in Tokyo, it's almost universally true. Second , they move politely, efficiently, and with focus. They don't hesitate, but they don't barrel through, either. Each person picks a line and walks it. There is no pushing, no chaos — just a purposeful flow. But with more than 2,500 pedestrians moving through the same small space, headed in every direction, there's a ton of split-second adjusting, shuffling, and polite sidestepping to make the dance work for everyone. Third , the crossing light only stays green for forty seconds. That's it. Forty seconds to get thousands of people from one side to the other across forty meters of ground, without incident. And when the light turns red again, miraculously, everybody's made it to the other side. It works every time. Shibuya looks like it shouldn't function: six roads, twelve angles, thousands of destinations. There is no conductor, no visible control. But instead of disorder, we get grace. No one approaching the crossing thinks, "This is impossible. I'll never make it across. " They trust the system. They trust each other. Then they move. What unfolds is a kind of unspoken choreography: human-scaled, adaptive, imperfect, and alive. Shibuya wasn't designed once and left alone. It evolved over 150 years, shaped by commuters, crowds, and constant motion. It's a living system now: too complex to reverse, too trusted to replace. That's what human creativity looks like at its best: messy but alive , not optimized by code but lived by instinct . AI might simulate the pattern, but it can't do the lived dance. Why Humans Are the New Vinyl Every generation has faced a technological nemesis: the printing press, the camera, the internet. Each time, we traded something meaningful for something efficient. Each time, we asked the same questions: What have we gained? What have we lost? Do we still recognize ourselves on the other side? Here's what history shows: disruption is inevitable. Resistance is natural. Adaptation is where we survive. Vinyl records survived because they carried something digital could not: scarcity, tactility, lived presence. Humans will survive for the same reason. Not because we're faster, but because we're real. We don't just create for output. We create to connect.To share a tilt. To leave a mark. Klaus's stories remind us that creativity is the sum of many parts: inspiration, creation, emotion, interpretation, presentation, nuance, time and place, and the audience's relationship to it all. AI can process vast amounts of data and generate outputs that appear and sound remarkably realistic. But the human touch — immeasurable as it may be — still makes all the difference. And in an age when AI can mimic almost everything, that human signature becomes more valuable, not less. This moment feels like the early days of vinyl's comeback. AI has arrived fast. People are still figuring out how to feel about it. Some don't care. Some feel uneasy. A few say hell no. But beneath it all is a quiet recognition: in a world where anyone can generate a song, a story, or an image, the work shaped by lived experience, emotional truth, and intentional craft will matter more — like vinyl records in the streaming age: scarce, fragile, imperfectly human. Artificial intelligence has become a global intersection: billions of people, thousands of systems, and a handful of hyper-powerful players converge all at once. We need systems built on shared trust and the willingness to adapt as we go. That's what makes a system human. Not the tech. The people in motion. The instinct to move forward together , even without guarantees. Which brings us back to Jeremy's email and that café conversation with Brian. If AI makes creativity easy — too easy — why choose harder, slower, more human ways? Because human is the new vinyl. This piece is adapted from my book Human Is the New Vinyl . If you want to hang with these ideas in a deeper way, you can find it here on Amazon . It's my attempt to trace what's really at stake in an AI age: not speed or slickness, but what makes us human. If this stirred something in you, I'd love for you to share it. lnʞsʇᴉɹɐɹoʌ ɥɐɔᴉɯ ⬢ Micah is the author of Human Is the New Vinyl and founder of VerifiedHuman ™. He writes and works at the messy intersection of technology, creativity, and being human.